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Angels Cimmerian
The Angels Cimmerian are a Second Founding Successor Legion of the Blood Angels, created in the wake of the Horus Heresy to help offset the severe losses sustained by the Legiones Astartes. Founded as a replacement for the lost and forgotten XIth Legion, the Angels Cimmerian were created to help provide much needed security to the borders of the tattered Imperium. Though many considered using the Legion number of one of the 'Forgotten Legions' as an ill-omen, the Angels Cimmerian would make it their own by forging a bloody and glorious reputation across the annals of Imperial history. The first use of the Angels Cimmerians was to bring to heel those who believed they could simply secede from the authority of the Imperium. These grim and bloody-handed warriors were well suited for the task at hand, displaying a propensity for moral absolution and a drive to enact retribution. They quickly garnered a reputation as a brutal and bloody-handed Legion, their first Legion Master Nassir Amit and his Angels Cimmerian embarked upon a crusade of vengeance to eliminate Traitor forces still loyal to Horus as well as continuing to purge Chaotic infestations from Imperial worlds. Since that time, the Angels Cimmerian have continued to be a highly active Legion, their Legion Master Leonatos unable to rest at peace. Thus, the Angels Cimmerian are constantly on campaign. As a result, their Legion is rarely at full strength, as their numbers are worn down by the attrition of constant warfare. But what the Angels Cimmerian lack in numerical strength, however, is more than compensated for in ferocity and fervour. They have never once denied a request for assistance by other Imperial forces, and have won the approbation of many of their fellow Legion Masters and Planetary Governors alike for their selfless heroism. Legion History The Angels Cimmerian are a Loyalist Space Marine Legion that was created in the latter 31st Millennium as a Second Founding Successor Legion of the Blood Angels. This Successor Legion was the first that was founded from remnants of the Blood Angels' 5th Company. This occurred despite knowing the grim truth concerning their progenitors' flawed gene-seed. The Angels Cimmerian are stoutly bound to the Blood Angels, united by the blood of their Primarch Sanguinius that flows through their veins and ancient traditions that outsiders find difficult to understand. Their loyalty to the memory of their Primarch transcends all other duties and concerns. Being born from the Blood Angels' gene-seed, the Angels Cimmerian too, carries the Flaw inherent in their gene-stock. The Angels Cimmerian does not deny their blood-lust, and in turn have learned to embrace it, making it a central part of their rituals. The Legion thereby seems to have achieved an unparalleled level of restraint over their Flaw. Notable Campaigns Legion Gene-Seed The Horus Heresy had revealed weaknesses in the gene-seed of several Space Marine Legions. These defects had been exacerbated by the accelerated gene-seed cultivation techniques needed to keep the huge Space Marine Legions up to strength. Within Sanguinius' own bio-type there was a trait that lay buried and waited to be awakened. During the Great Crusade, this strange affliction began to manifest, affecting some of the Blood Angels Legionaries over the course of several decades. The story was always the same -- a warrior of the IXth Legion in the throes of battle eventually succumbed to a rage that continued to build and build until his reason was lost. When a Blood Angels Battle-Brother succumbed to this affliction, his humanity would be stripped away until only his feral core remained and all the blood-crazed Astartes wanted to do was kill and kill, satiating himself with blood and more blood. At the end, at the very worst of it, he lost every last piece of himself, until death was a kindness. Sanguinius had been aware of the flaw in his genome for several years, keeping the truth from the Emperor and his fellow Primarchs. He could not speak of this to any of the others, for to do so would diminish his Legion in the eyes of his brothers and the Imperium. Some of his brother Primarchs would see it as a weakness and seek to turn this truth against him. Sanguinius was afraid to confide in his father the Emperor for he could not take the risk of being responsible for the erasure of the Blood Angels from Imperial history like the lost and forgotten IInd and XIth Legions. After the Horus Heresy, when the High Lords of Terra decreed that the Imperium's most brilliant gene-wrights and fleshcrafters were to expunge these genetic weaknesses. They focused on perfecting and removing the existing deficiencies in the Blood Angels' gene-seed. But as they proved far less-skilled in the genetic sciences than the Emperor Himself, they were only moderately successful. Though the gene-wrights were able to identify and remove a hitherto unknown genetic deficiency, removing the so-called 'Red Thirst' proved to be a much more difficult prospect. Though they were able to ensure that future generations of Astartes who received the genetic stock of Sanguinius would still suffer from this flaw, it would occur at a much reduced rate, with maybe a handful of Legionaries being afflicted over the course of centuries of service. When the High Lords of Terra decreed that a new Founding of Space Marine Legions would take place, this new, altered Blood Angels' gene-seed was given to a new generation of Astartes. Thus, when the Second Founding took place in 091.M31, the Angels Cimmerian were one of two newly created Legions that would replace the ones that had fallen to the Ruinous Powers during the Horus Heresy. The Flaw Born of the gene-seed of Sanguinius, the Angels Cimmerian bear the curse of their forefathers to varying degrees. But despite their state, they are worthy inheritors of the Red Angel, and are an honour to the pride and glory of their ancestors. The Angels Cimmerian share many traits with their Progenitors, including the tragic flaw, known as the Red Thirst that afflicts the line of Sanguinius. This curse manifests in the form of a fiery, zealous temperament that drives the Chapter to ever-greater heights of valour. It has been said of these Scions of Sanguinius that few other Legions can match the battle honours they have earned, but it is also true that these have come at a terrible price. Where other Legions might retire after a hard fought campaign to rebuild and reconstitute their numbers, the Angels Cimmerian plunge headlong into the next battle. Rarely is any time given over to recuperation, meaning that the Legion is seldom operating at anything like full strength. It has been surmised that the Angels Cimmerian fight in this manner as a means of staving off the worst effects of the Flaw, but some well-placed observers have posited an alternative possibility. Perhaps, they whisper, the Angels Cimmerina fight the way they do to purge their ranks of those in the grip of the Red Thirst. The Angels Cimmerian, like their antecedents the Blood Angels, adhere as closely to the praxis of their Primogenitors as the Flaw allows – they discern the Blood Angel’s trammels as a form of discipline that can be used to restrain the Red Thirst. For the most part the Angels mimic their Primogenitors in most regards. But since they have a lower number of battle-brothers affected by the Flaw, they have no Death Company to speak of. No one knows exactly how the Angels Cimmerian has managed to keep the Flaw at bay. Those who think well of the Chapter, a number which includes the Blood Angels, believe that it is because of their devotion to the Emperor and Sanguinius as well as a display of iron will that is remarkable. Legion Organisation The Angels Cimmerian Legion is divided into Companies of varying sizes and specialisation, each led by an officer with the rank of Captain. Companies can range from the standard size in other Legions (around 100-200 Legionaries) to almost a full Chapter (1,000 Legionaries). Due their propensity for engaging in neverending conflict, the Angels Cimmerian have often been forced to merge remnants of their depleted forces into viable battle groups. When a Company sustains too many losses, negating their ability to operate alone, they will often merge with another full-strength Company. New Companies are also regularly created by combining a body of newly inducted Scout Marines with a handful of veterans from other Companies, who then take up the designation of one of the Dominions Companies. Regardless of size, a Company is divided in squads of various specialites - Tactical, Destroyer, Assault, and Veteran. In the larger Companies, there is an informal hierarchy to allow the Captain to focus on the overall tactical picture. Squad leaders who have displayed a talent for leadership might then be granted the title of Centurion, and act as their Captain's second-in-command. These Centurions are earmarked for possible senior command in the future, and are often considered Captains-in-training. Legion Command *'Legion Command:' Legate (Legion Master) **'Praetorate' or Ancients of the Legion (Senior Staff Officer Cadre) ***'Consular Representatives' [Senior representatives of the Armourium, Astropathic Chamber, Navigators-Plenipotentiary, Librarus (if present in Legion), Apothecarion, Masters of the Fleet, Castrum of Ordnance, Castellans of Domain, et al] ***'Vexillarius' (Legion Standard Bearers, Subalterns and Equerries) ***'Sanguinary Guard' (Honour Guard) (Praetorian Bodyguard Formations for Legion Master -- number and structure varied by Legion) Specialist Ranks The Angels Cimmerians' order of battle contains several specialist formations and officer positions not present in other Space Marine Legions: *'Sanguinary Guard' - A major deviance from other Legions by the Angels XIthLegion is the existence of the elite Honour Guard known as the Sanguinary Guard, which includes 30 of the Legion's best and most Veteran Astartes. They use modified Jump Packs with mechanical wings to give them a taste of their Primarch's ability for flight, so that they are transformed into true angels of death. They are clad in ancient suits of golden Artificer Armour, wielding an ancient Power Weapon in the shape of a polearm known as a Glaive Encarmine, each one of which is a Legion relic dating back many millennia. Each member of the Sanguinary Guard is easily the equal of a full squad of their brethren and the deeds of each are carefully recorded by the Legion's Librarians, as they are warriors second in prowess only to the company captains and their Legion Master. *'Exsanguinator Priests' - The Angels Cimmerians' Exsanguinator Priests are the custodians of the blood of Sanguinius himself. They serve in the role of the Legion's Apothecaries, as well as partially fulfilling the role of spiritual leaders within the Legion who lead their fellow battle-brothers in their rituals and blood rites. Whilst the sermons and ceremonies of the Legion's Chaplains exhort their battle-brothers to reject the anger within, those performed by the Exsanguinator Priests call upon the Angels Cimmerian to embrace the Red Thirst and wrest it to their control; unleashing its strength to buttress theirs when the day is darkest and the battle goes ill. As with the Apothecaries of other Legions, the foremost concern of the Exsanguinator Priests is to conserve the Legion's gene-seed. *'Wardens' - Like their predecessors, the Angels Cimmerian utilise the bygone specialist rank of Warden. Within the Angels Cimmerian Legion the role of Warden differs slightly than that of a standard Legion Chaplain, as their responsibilities are solely geared towards being mentors for the younger Astartes, battlefield instructors and learned veterans who share knowledge with the rest of their kindred; but they were also charged with sustaining coherence throughout the tens of thousands of warriors that fill the ranks of the XIth Legion. That could mean anything from offering suggestions to a Captain on a point of combat doctrine, to leading a ceremony of remembrance to the fallen. They serve as lore-keepers, counsellors, and teachers. The High Warden -- the senior ranking Warden -- is the keeper of the Legion's Reclusiam, the Angels Cimmerians' most sacred shrine. No part of their fortress-monastery is as revered as the Reclusiam, adorned as it is with banners and relics of ages past, its sable stones steeped in history and grandeur. Here do the Wardens conduct their ceremonies, the rites of Initiation, Vindication and Redemption, the Blood Pact and the Host-throng. Legion Homeworld Cruentus is the homeworld of the Angels Cimmerian Space Marine Legion which is located in the Segmentum Obscurus of the Imperium of Man. This fiery, volcanic world classified by the Imperial Administratum as a Death World. As a result of the tectonic stresses produced by the gravitational pull of its overlarge lunar satellite, Luna De Sanguis, as well as the vast chains of active volcanoes scattered across the world's surface as well as suffering from frequent earthquakes. The constant volcanic eruptions have swaddled the world in an ever-present cloak of dust and ash that obscures most sunlight. Legion Recruitment Notable Angels Cimmerian Legion Relics Legion Fleet Although not as numerically large as the dedicated war fleets of certain Legions, the Angels Cimmerian possess a high proportion of heavy capital ships, many of which are of considerable size and power, being relics of the lost Dark Age of Technology. The names of these vessels had entered into legend after the start of the Second Great Crusade and live on in esteem honor long afterward. The following vessels are known to belong to the Legion fleet of the Angels Cimmerian after the beginning of the Second Great Crusade: *''Crimson Death'' (Gloriana-class Battleship) - The flagship of the XIth Legion and of Legate Leonatos. This ship is but one of two honoured vessels that make up a duet of augmented Gloriann-class Battleships known as the Two Sisters of Righteousness, that were created by the will of Roboute Guilliman of the Ultramarines Legion as a gift to the Angels Cimmerian Legion. *''Redemption'' (Gloriana-class Battleship) – The second of a duet of augmented Gloriann-class Battleships known as the Two Sisters of Righteousness, this vessels is one of the oldest and most venerable Gloriann-class Battleships within the Imperium which dates back to the glory years of the Second Great Crusade. *''Eternal Fire'' (Battle Barge) - This ancient Battle Barge has served the XIth Legion since the start of the Second Great Crusade into the present of the 41st Millenium. *''Spear of Retribution'' (Battle Barge) - The Spear of Retribution is a vessel known to be present in the Angels Cimmerian Legion fleet. *''Sword of Azkaellon'' (Battle Barge) - Assigned to the 1st Expeditionary Fleet during the Second Great Crusade. *''The Blooded'' (Battle Barge) - The Blooded was the first vessel that carried the first Angels Cimmerian beyond the Sol system during the Second Great Crusade. *''Red Shroud'' (Relic Battleship - Unknown Class) - The Red Shroud was a Relic Battleship that pre-dated the founding of the Imperium -- a veteran of centuries of nightmarish war amid the dark stars and aged in scars and honours during the Second Great Crusade. *''Salvation'' (Strike Cruiser) - Strike Cruiser assigned to the 1st Expeditionary Fleet during the Second Great Crusade. *''Swift Vengeance'' (Strike Cruisder) - Strike Cruiser assigned to the 1st Expeditionary Fleet during the Second Great Crusade. *''Radiant Dawn'' (Strike Cruiser) - Strike Cruiser assigned to the 1st Expeditionary Fleet during the Second Great Crusade. *''Fortitude'' (Strike Cruiser) - Strike Cruiser assigned to the 1st Expeditionary Fleet during the Second Great Crusade. *''Terrible Angel'' (Strike Cruiser) - Strike Cruiser assigned to the 1st Expeditionary Fleet during the Second Great Crusade. *''Halberd'' (Strike Cruiser) - Strike Cruiser that carried Task Force Onslaught to the Vernalis System. The Halberd earned much renown for its participation in the Gothic War. *''Berus'' (Frigate) - Frigate assigned to the 1st Expeditionary Fleet during the Second Great Crusade. *''Dauntless One'' (Frigate) - Frigate assigned to the 1st Expeditionary Fleet during the Second Great Crusade. *''Inferno'' (Destroyer) - Destroyer assigned to the 1st Expeditionary Fleet during the Second Great Crusade. *''The Unbowed'' (Destroyer) - Destroyer assigned to the 1st Expeditionary Fleet during the Second Great Crusade. *''Defiant'' (Destroyer) - Destroyer assigned to the 1st Expeditionary Fleet during the Second Great Crusade. *''Angel's Talon'' (Troopship) - Troopship assigned to the 1st Expeditionary Fleet during the Second Great Crusade. *''Archangel's Edge'' (Troopship) - Troopship assigned to the 1st Expeditionary Fleet during the Second Great Crusade. Legion Appearance *'Power Armour' - The power armour of the Angels Cimmerian is predominantly a sombre black, with details picked out in red -- the reverse of the standard of their Progenitors, the Blood Angels Legion Colours. The origins of using the colour black traces back to the latter days of the Great Crusade. When the Red Thirst first began to manifest itself amongst a handful of Blood Angels Legionaries, they would quickly be dealt with -- honoured for their service and then summarily executed, either by the Primarch himself, or Azkaellon, the commander of the IXth Legion's Sanguinary Guard. The slain Battle-Brother would then be laid in honourable repose as a slab of inkstone from the night deserts of Baal Primus was passed over the dead warrior's armour, blotting out the crimson colour with a layer of glistening, smoky black. The manner of the Battle-Brother's death would be forever lost to the Legion's chronicles, the existence of the growing Flaw within the Blood Angels' genetic structure kept secret. The Angels Cimmerian maintain the ancient custom of wearing blood-red saltires painted on portions of their battle-plate, to symbolise the wounds of their beloved Primarch Sanguinius after he was slain by Horus during the climax of the Horus Heresy at the Battle of Terra. *'Legion Symbol' - The Angels Cimmerian wear their Legion symbol on their left shoulder pauldron. In keeping with their inverted colours of their Progenitors, this is displayed with a white skull, with two angelic wings, and a red tear drop. The winged skull symbol represents the valiant death of their beloved Primarch, and the red tear drop symbolises both their eternal grief for his loss, and the blood they seek from their enemies, in order to atone for his death. *'Saltires' - Saltires iconography takes the form of simply red crosses which represents the death wounds of the Primarch Sanguinius. Saltires are often placed on shoulder pauldrons and poleyns (knee guards) but can also be found on other parts of a Legionary's battle-plate. *'Blood Drops' - The blood drop remains a potent symbol for the Angels Cimmerian. These symbols and tokens are often trimmed in gold and painted a deeper red to make them stand out. *'Parchment & Purity Seals' - Purity Seals and parchment record the deeds of the battle-brother or an Oath of Moment. Notable Quotes By the Angels Cimmerian Feel free to add your own About the Angels Cimmerian Feel free to add your own Gallery Crimson_Death_Gloriana-class_Battleship.png|The flagship of the XIth Legion, Crimson Death Redemption_Gloriana-class_Battleship.png|Sister Battleship Redemption Category:Achilles Prime Category:Blood Angels Successors